The present invention relates in general to tube type packaging of folded card or the like for holding together a plurality of objects such as primary containers, e.g. generally cylindrical beverage cans disposed in two parallel rows.
It frequently happens that articles such as primary containers include bar codes or the like in their own base regions identifying the individual contents. Simultaneously, the outer packaging also includes a different bar code identifying the product group as a whole. The bar code of each container is generally situated near the base thereof and that is why it is desirable to fit the outer packaging with axial end skirtings projecting upwards from its bottom wall in order to prevent accidental reading of the bar codes on the individual containers.
Simultaneously, such outer packaging is generally made by being looped back onto itself and by implementing adhesive or mechanical locking means. For reasons relating essentially to appearance, the glued flaps or the mechanical locking means are generally disposed in the bottom wall of the outer packaging, so as to leave the side and top surfaces of the outer packaging essentially smooth. Under such circumstances, the bottom wall is made up of two portions that are initially situated at two opposite ends of a starting blank.
It will be understood that it is difficult to make the above requirement compatible with providing the previous-described skirting, and in practice outer packaging that is locked or glued together at the bottom has a skirting that is either unattractive in appearance, or else that requires glue between the skirting and the side walls of the outer packaging, for example, which is undesirable from the point of view of mechanization.